Becoming a Solid Player

bayoubullet said:
Wrote down some thoughts that I wanted to share with the AZ community. Just my opinion.

http://solidpoolplayer.blogspot.com/

:grin:
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I was hoping to see more than 3 short paragraphs. I guess it is technically a paragraph with 3 sentences.

I don't agree that you have to gamble to be a good/great player. I don't believe Ralph Soquet nor Thorsten Hohman gamble and they are certainly world class.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and link to your blog.
 
You are right, i could have just posted here. I know its short, but it was just a quick thought I had the other night. I could be wrong, but it would be hard for me to believe that Ralph and Thorsten have never gambled. I'm sure that there are readers out there that may know if this is true or not. As for the Blog, its only my opinion.
 
IMHO, to be a top player (in any field) you have to have an intense desire to win. Gambling provides that desire for some people; not for others.

Michael Phelps won 16 Olympic gold medals...but I doubt he had a bet on any of the races. Bobby Jones was one of the world's best golfers although he never made a penny on the game.
 
bayoubullet said:
…..I’ve always wanted to improve my game like most players do. To do this, I’ve always believed that a player must master as many different games as possible. Every game can teach you something, whether its 8 ball, 9 ball, one pocket, straight pool, snooker, or 3 cushion billiards. ……
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I feel the same way.

bayoubullet said:
My personal favorite to play happened to be one pocket. I just loved the strategy of every game. Cue ball control is at its highest level. One mistake in this game and you will not get back to the table, period.
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Humm; I like one-pocket to but think about this.


bayoubullet said:
To become a top player, a player MUST play in tournaments and gamble. Both of these will give you the “killer” instinct. You must be able to finish the game when it’s the time. Just playing league simply will not work. Playing as an individual makes you a better player because its only you competing. If YOU don’t win, then you go home with your head down.
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The jury is still out on this one; tournaments yes, gambling – not necessarily. Dr9ball mentioned Ralf & Thorsten I don’t know for sure if they “never” gambled but keep in mind that there are cultural differences. I agree with the league only won’t work but the why from my perspective is different.

bayoubullet said:
I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power. The more you know about the physics of the game, the more solid player you will become. Know how friction, throw, squirt, shaft deflection affect the game, because all of these are in every single game you play.
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Yup; no question about it.
 
Appreciate the responses. It would be really interesting to know how many of the 128 ranked pros have never gambled.
 
I agree, knowledge is power. However, I've seen plenty of great players that didn't have a clue. Wimpy Lassiter said he never gave lessons because he didn't know how he did what he did. Mike Sigel used to be called Mr N, for knowledge. The k was left off as a joke about some of his wrong-headed beliefs. I could go on.
 
Solid player

I too, am not sure U have to gamble. It can cause problems because one never really knows the financial situation of your opponent. Gambling & the Hussle have always held the game back because of the perception by the general public. Willie Mosconi said he never Hussled ever. He did not like Fats because he thought Fats held down the actual growth of the game. As to league play, I played better with more focus & intensity than playing for myself or my money because I did not want to let my team mates down. Maybe that comes from my love of football which I think is the ultimate 'team' sport. In any case truthful knowledge certainly is most helpful. I believe a solid player is one who is actually playing himself within the game rather than an actual opponent to see if he or she can conquer the game or at least control it for a time. In that respect it is simular to golf. Just my 2 cents.
 
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